2018 Central Park Race Preview & Odds
Race seven on Thursday's lucrative holiday card at Aqueduct Racetrack is the $100,000 Central Park, a 1 1/16-miles outer turf test for juveniles headed by the Todd Pletcher-trained duo of Empire of War and Good Good.
Empire of War is undefeated on the turf in two attempts with a maiden score over a good Belmont turf on October 6 and an impressive half-length win over a yielding Aqueduct lawn on November 4 when making his stakes debut.
2018 Central Park Odds & Entries
Race 7 on Aqueduct's Thursday card with a Post Time of 2:50 PM
| Entry | Horse | ML Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Order and Law | 5-2 | John Velazquez 122 Lbs |
Louis Linder, Jr. |
| 2 | Market Bubble | 8-1 | Jose Lezcano 118 Lbs |
Alan Goldberg |
| 3 | Doups Point | 12-1 | Joel Rosario 118 Lbs |
Christophe Clement |
| 4 | Wallace | 15-1 | Rajiv Maragh 122 Lbs |
Kelsey Danner |
| 5 | Empire of War | 1-1 | Manuel Franco 122 Lbs |
Todd Pletcher |
| 6 | Good Good | 12-1 | Luis Saez 118 Lbs |
Todd Pletcher |
| 7 | Five Star General | 5-1 | Javier Castellano 118 Lbs |
Arnaud Delacour |
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"It's back a little quick, but he's shown good energy since his last race. We're looking forward to trying again and hopefully on the turf," said Pletcher.
The bay son of Declaration of War, out of Shehadmefromhello, is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Separationofpowers. After making his first two starts on the dirt, Empire of War switched riders to Manny Franco and surface to turf and has improved with each outing including a lofty 80 Beyer Speed Figure in winning the Awad. Franco retains the mount from post five.
Calumet Farm homebred Good Good graduated on debut in a five-furlong sprint on the Gulfstream Park main on June 30. The Quality Road bay then moved to turf for his stakes debut when third in the Skidmore on August 17 at Saratoga, ahead of a disappointing ninth in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile on September 1. Freshened following that outing, Good Good has posted a number of works including a four-furlong effort in 50 seconds flat on November 15 over the Belmont training track. Luis Saez will ride from post six.
Stakes winners Wallace and Order and Law will provide stiff competition in the inaugural running of the Central Park.
Trained by Kelsey Danner for Nancy Pierce, Wallace won third time out at Presque Isle Downs when sprinting on the synthetic main track. The Run Away and Hide gelding then shipped to Woodbine to finish fourth in the Victoria before capturing the Soaring Free in his turf debut over a yielding E.P. Taylor Turf Course. After failing to threaten in the Grade 1 Summer at Woodbine, Wallace then shipped to Aqueduct to land third in the off-the-turf Atlantic Beach. Rajiv Maragh will retain the mount from post four.
Order and Law, trained by Louis Linder for Bran Jam Stable and David Clark, graduated at first asking with a dramatic nose score in the Laurel Futurity over yielding ground. The Violence bay then shipped to Aqueduct and rallied from last of seven to finish fourth in the aforementioned Awad. Feargal Lynch returns to pilot Order and Law from the inside post.
Maiden winners Five Star General, Market Bubble and Doups Point complete the field.
Gates will open at 10 a.m. at Aqueduct on Thursday through Saturday. First post on Thanksgiving Thursday's nine-race card is 11:50 a.m.
